ENVY Deceptive Desires #1 (Romantic Suspense)

by Amarie Avant

  “Talk to me, Raven.” His hazel eyes searched her frozen face.

  When her lips clamped shut, Liam picked her up and tried to kiss her. She turned her head. Like a bobble head, she shunned her desire. He grabbed her chin and bit the flesh of her bottom lip, just enough pressure to make her transform into his little dum-dum. I’m so stupid … Surrendering to his touch, she let him carry her to the bedroom.

  Liam kissed her collarbone, his lips and hands roaming around, leaving a trail of fire. He dropped to his knees, bunched up her shirt, and nibbled on her abdomen. “You want me still, don’t you?”

  “I shouldn't …”

  He unbuckled his belt and pulled down his pants. Liam caressed his cock, his fingers roaming over its thickness and down his long shaft. As he made her mouth water, he declared, “No other woman gets me as hard as you, Re. My cock is hard as a fucking rock, only for you, beautiful. You still want me, don't you?”

  “I want you … I neeeed you …”

  His large body dominated her bed. Raven crawled over to him as he laid with one hand behind his head.

  The other hand moving ever so slowly up and down his long cock as he eyed her hungrily.

  Her tongue dipped out for just the faint taste of him. He was hard yet smooth against her lips. Then Raven allowed her pink lips to roam over the pre-cum at the tip of his dick before pulling him fervently to the back of her throat. As her tonsils applied pressure to the head of his cock, Raven’s tongue twirled around the base.

  A vortex of sensations went off within Raven’s body. She wanted to drink every bit of his seed, but her pussy walls quivered with desire. And then Liam fisted a bit of her hair, pulling her mouth away.

  “I’m not cumming before you scream my name a thousand times over, Re.”

  He pawed at her hip as she climbed on top of him. His cock stretching her softness, Raven panted against his neck. She took in a deep breath of his masculine scent before finding a riding rhythm. With this leverage, she allowed him deep into her luscious vessel.

  “Liam …” she gasped his name in pure ecstasy, twirling her hips. Raven’s senses were on fire as her body started to convulse. She leaned forward and clung to him as an orgasm controlled her entire being.

  “Now, I’m going to fuck you deeper.” Liam didn’t even allow her rapidly beating heart a moment’s rest. He grabbed her thigh, and in a second, she was scooped beneath him.

  His hands gripped the headboard as his thrusts surged harder, causing every ill thought harbored in her mind to float away. The feel of his dick stretching her pussy caused a rapture of waves to course from the center of her body. Fingers and toes tingling, Raven took in all of his cock. She began to sing his name as his sweat-slacked hardness molded over her.

  Her jiggling breasts caught Liam’s eyes. The pacing of his erection slowed. Raven’s hips arched, preparing for him to dive in. He didn’t. She whimpered on the brink of another orgasm.

  Her voice was but a croak. “Liam, fuck me, please!”

  Transfixed with her breast, Liam grabbed one mound in his hand. His fingers teased, tugged, and rolled her hardened nipple. He reached down and took as much of her into his mouth as he could, his teeth grazing the silk of her skin.

  Raven’s mouth opened wide, a silent moan escaping as his teeth grazed up and over her nipple. At that instant, Liam’s hand grasped her left tit and rocketed into her core. Raven gripped his ass, his muscles powerful beneath her hands as his cock slammed into her repeatedly.

  “Fuck, fuck, Liam, fuck,” she shouted as his biceps flexed while he used the headboard as leverage. If he broke the damn thing, she didn’t give a damn. Her psyche knew but one thing: stay wet and plead. And plead she did, until her throat was raw. And night passed away.

  They needed to have a serious conversation. Not the next day, though. The next day, Raven would meet the man who ruined her mother. The next day, her own heart would be ripped out. And then she’d need Liam’s love … the day after tomorrow would have to do.

  Chapter 35

  Why wasn’t Roy Timmons dead or a revered or small town hero? At the very least, he could’ve been a father with a family that loved him so much that Charlene couldn’t break their hearts. Glancing out the window, Charlene peered past the morning haze as the driver of the rented Lincoln handed papers to a gun-clad officer. The tight-lipped guard scanned documents from Stork before waving them in. Raven sat beside her and took her hand as the bars closed behind their car. They were locked inside the pits of hell.

  Stork had given specific instructions for her private meeting due to Charlene’s celebrity status.

  Stork’s words were a never-ending recorder, embedded in her soul: “Royland Timothy Alder, alias Roy Timmons is incarcerated in maximum security, separated from the general population; indicted on fourteen counts of rape, kidnapping, murder in the first degree. Attempted murder—one of his victims was buried alive and luckily found—and that’s only what’s been pinned on him. He’s a sociopath, diagnosed with antisocial personality disorder. Royland’s outwardly charming, charismatic, even. His attentiveness captivates you before your brain registers his true colors. He’s a member of the Aryan Brotherhood, dubbed ‘The Black Beauty Murderer’ in the 90s by the media in the South for targeting young African-American females. Remember, he’s as sly as a fox …”

  Unsure of which—Stork’s monotone or the true Royland Alder—Charlene felt a chill travel up her spine as she watched a gentle shower begin to beat on the vehicle’s windows. As instructed, the driver parked and opened the back door. He stood to the side with an umbrella, and Charlene got out first.

  “Are you sure you want to come?” She glanced inside at Raven. Her voice held a flair of leadership. She’d used the same take-charge stance while being Meagan on Deceptive Desires and during her action flicks.

  “Yes, Mom.” Raven scooted out after her, and the driver shut the door.

  Cold stung, making Charlene’s lambskin-gloved fingers wriggle. She dipped them inside her cashmere jacket. They walked through a cement structure with multiple iron fences.

  Finally, her daughter seemed to spring to life. Raven patted her back. “You can do it, Mom.”

  A prison guard stood at a station just inside the entrance. His tone drummed so powerfully that it knocked on Charlene’s chest cavity. She didn’t know whether to get down and give him twenty push-ups or nod. She dared not open her mouth or ask a question. His voice ended with a much slower, yet still strong, “… do y’all understand?”

  “Yes,” Raven replied.

  Charlene nodded for the hundredth time, and placed her purse on the rolling table. She watched his bugged eyes staring at the machine X-raying the contents of her purse as she walked through the body scanner. Raven did the same routine, but the body scanner beeped as she passed through.

  The guard gave Raven a look of irritation as he pulled out a wand before turning to Charlene. “You need to continue walking, ma’am. You cannot stand here.”

  “But, I …” I can’t see Royland all by myself! The look on the guard’s face as he pointed to a sign which indicated it was a no-stopping-zone made her rigid legs move. She scurried to the bus that would take her to the maximum security section.

  The second set of Stork’s words slithered through her mind. “It is important that you be prompt. The warden will only close the visiting section for fifteen minutes for your private meeting with Alder. Whatever you have to say, make it quick.”

  Counseled by Stork, she knew exactly what to expect when stepping into a cement-walled, empty visiting room with tables and chairs bolted to the floor. One-way windows were on one side and the grey October sky peeked through barred windows at the opposite side. Then her breath caught.

  Roy … Royland Alder sat in the middle of the room in an orange jumpsuit. Dirty-blond, wavy hair with a silver streak neatly combed back. Face freshly shaven. He was handsome. It instantly dissolved her tension. She pictured this as the setting of a movie with an attr
active yet villainous costar. Royland’s elbows were planted on the table, his hands clasped together, eyes closed, almost as if he were praying. The shackles holding his arms together met at a chain draping down on the table and underneath to his shackled feet.

  She sank onto the hard bench on the opposite side.

  Eyes the color of a field of Texas bluebonnets opened, and he smiled so charismatically. Charismatic! Stork’s words came back in a flash. She felt ashamed by being temporarily plunged back into her fifteen-year-old self. Naïve.

  “Hello, Charlene.” His voice enveloped her, hugging softly. As hard as she tried, her eyes were glued to his. Her body went numb with fear when Royland reached across the table. “Yes, I remember you all. You've finally come to see me.”

  One of the guards tapped his Billy Club. “Don’t go there, Alder!”

  His hands recoiled. She read the tattoo on his knuckles “K-I-L-L” and “C-O-O-N.” There were skull heads on his thumbs.

  “I’ve missed you, Charlene. Did you miss me?” His baby-blues glazed over with lust.

  Squaring her shoulders, Charlene said, “Roy, uh, Royland, I’m here to understand why you—”

  “All you bitches ever want to know is why. Why this? Why that? I thought you came to see me!” Like a dog with rabies, Royland shouted through gritted teeth. With his forearm, he wiped spittle from his chin and mouth. Speechless, she watched as he stood and grabbed his penis. “I thought you wanted more.”

  “Sit down, Alder!” the guards yelled.

  “You want to know why?” Smirking at the guards, he sat. The dog was gone. The evil glare abandoned. As if a temporary exorcism had made the devil flee his body, Royland’s eyes were once again cloudless summer skies. “Simply because I can. I had to show y’all little bitches that you were nothing!”

  “You’re sick, pathetic.” She cut through his arrogance. “The pain you put me through didn’t stop me. I continued on. You’re nothing but the devil!”

  He yanked the necklace from under his shirt and kissed the pendant, the very same Jesus cross that haunted her dreams.

  “You’re evil!” She started backing away from this useless conversation. It was way past the new millennium, and he still made her stomach turn. Royland had empty eyes. He would enjoy arguing with her forever, if given the chance. My time is worth more than this. Rearing on her heels to leave, she paused when he spoke.

  “Oh, yeah? Don’t nobody want your old ass.” His tormenting eyes stopped piercing her soul, as if arguing with her was of no importance. For a moment, Charlene’s head tilted in confusion. He’d stared into her mind, body, soul. Now, lust returned, but his gaze stayed just past her.

  “I want her!” Royland pointed with his hands close together. The chains around his wrists clinked off the tabletop. “She’s a tad old. Heck, I’ll make an exception. Conjugal visit time!”

  Charlene whipped around, and her eyes bugged out. My God, what have I done? She opened her mouth to speak, to say something, anything, but couldn’t. She couldn’t alter this dire situation.

  Raven stood at the door. She had the same piercing blue eyes as her father. Other than that, she was void of emotion.

  Chapter 36

  “I woke up with cum glued to my fucking cock, Re,” Liam said, lying in bed with the morning sunlight streaming inside. He had to resort to cuddling with her pillow, which he’d done ever since she left him.

  “Aww, poor baby. It better have been me pleasing you in your dreams,” Raven replied, sounding as though she were smiling.

  “None other than you.” He half-smiled, and then acknowledged, “You sound a bit down.”

  “You don't know the half of it.” Raven sighed into the phone.

  It was on the tip of his tongue to ask how her mother-daughter date went, but he heard an automated voice in the background stating last call for terminal. “Are you at the airport?”

  “Uh, yeah.”

  “Jet-lagged?” he asked, since he didn’t know she’d even left town. Maybe she’d had a nice getaway with Charlene but came home early for him?

  “Something like that. Char had to get back to the land of the superstars. But I'll be okay. Enough about me, we leave for Chicago next week for the breaking ground ceremony, right?”

  Liam hesitated. Why was she so disinterested in talking about what she’s been up to? He rubbed a hand over his face, hoping that one day she’d be more open about how things were going with her mom. “Yes.”

  “Good. Liam, I am so in love with you! The blueprint update adding the photography gallery still has me in shock. Are you ready for a celebration tonight?”

  Her soft tone had his dick swelling again. He asked, “What do you have in mind?”

  “You provide my favorite wine, I'll be well rested enough to dish out one of my famous back rubs.”

  “And that, Re, is why I'm so fucking in love with you.”

  The quick call left a smile on his face. As Liam stepped into his walk-in closet to prepare for work, his cell went off again. The call was a blocked number.

  “I made a quick trip,” Vincent said, too busy for formalities. “A newspaper is in your downstairs office, now I’m on my way to Bogota for the boss.”

  His closest confidant seemed to be apologizing for not staying long enough to fraternize. “All right, next time one of us is on the other’s turf, we will make it a habit of crossing paths, regardless of previous obligations.”

  With that agreed upon, they hung up. Liam exited his bedroom. He quickly checked in on Royael, sleeping in her room. Then he went downstairs to see exactly who had tried him.

  In the office, he flicked on the lights. True to his words, a newspaper was on his desk. Vincent had gotten into and out of his home undetected.

  The headlines weren’t for him. The second page was earmarked.

  “Promising University of Dallas track athlete murdered …”

  The guy had only been twenty, a few years younger than he. Liam’s eyes glued to word murdered, yet Liam didn't feel guilt or any such emotion at the thought of what the mugger tried to do. Fear flashing before Raven’s eyes was enough to wipe away any grain of empathy. But the track star didn’t fit the MO of a would-be mugger. The article implied he had a 3.5 GPA and his track stats were amazing.

  As he was about to set the newspaper down, a few photos slipped from one of the pages.

  A dark-skinned woman dressed in a red dress stood in the condo he bought for Raven, his Raven. For all intents and purposes, they might have been just friends, but instincts argued otherwise. He turned the photo over.

  Per Vincent, both women were behind the attempted mugging. Liam read the very brief report. Sharon Riley, one of the junior journalists at Scandalous magazine, helped Raven frame him.

  His entire heart sunk. He slipped down into the leather chair. Vincent's last words were Sharon had been dealt with, and it was during Liam’s call regarding Raven. His alley knew his love, understood it well.

  Before Vincent chose his life course, he'd had a heart, too. Liam was in Paris at fourteen. Vince had been a kindred spirit, since Liam was depressed about leaving Raven. Though the two men rarely interacted, Liam understood that he was a little out of the realm. Not fully engaged in his missions. Pierre fixed that. Up until then, Vincent never put emotions before a mission.

  If this had been an inquiry from Pierre or another Delacroix, Vincent would have handled the situation to its ultimate ugly end. But, no, he sought orders on what to do with Raven. Liam appreciated Vincent’s loyalty. Just this simple gesture was against Pierre’s rules.

  Hand balled into a fist, Liam decided to call Vincent back.

  Chapter 37

  Her lungs had seemed compressed; she'd been barely able to breathe. The image of her father, a rabid animal, flashed before her mind each time she blinked.

  Raven let herself into the glass house. She showered and donned new lingerie and stilettos. Placing two glasses and a chilled bottle of wine on the dresser, she propped
herself on an abundance of pillows.

  Liam should be home any minute. God, she loved Liam more than life itself. So what if he'd told Estella that they were just screwing? She'd remind them of when they were young. She'd make him fall for her again. And once he fell, she'd cling to him, be the encouraging, loving women behind a powerful man.

  Power. That had to be the reason Liam hadn't fully returned his heart to her this time. Raven hugged a pillow to her chest and tried not to smudge her makeup. With time, Liam would understand just how lucky he was.

  She fell asleep.

  The beep of the downstairs door alarm awoke her. With one glance at the clock, it read 4 AM. She slipped on the stilettos and walked to the banister to see Liam at the front door with a blond in an ultra-short miniskirt. Another club whore, this one a dazzling Latina with a bubble butt, flanked his opposite side. All three slobbered and groped each other, and then the drunken blonde back-stepped into the Koi pond. Raven’s heart sunk. She wanted to slink back into the room, but the ditz hiccupped and looked up.

  “You didn’t tell me you were married.” The lady wiped her red-smeared lips.

  “I’m not.” Liam’s eyes went from a narrowed look of lust to aggravation as he noticed Raven.

  “Well, it looks like she belongs here.” The girl pointed with an attitude. The women linked fingers and stormed out, slamming the heavy door as hard as she could.

  “Why are you here?” His tone held weight; even from downstairs, the force pummeled her chest, or could it be her heart shattering? Had she honestly misjudged him? Raven assumed he was guarding his heart. But this … his hazel eyes were dark, stormy. He hated her.

  Throat gone dry, she gulped. “Liam, I love you with everything in me. This morning … right now … you're a different man. You've changed.”

  “I've changed? Are you fucking crazy? I’ve given you one hundred percent of me.” Words slurred as he ascended the stairs. “When you came to my office for the first time, you tried to blackmail me. Trust me, Re, you've ruined lives with your antics! You've probably been sleeping with Stephen. Only Lord knows your plans with Tyriq, after I seen the two of you on the balcony in California. I’m so disappointed in you, ReRe.”